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The roots of Korean social culture can be attributed to its history of Buddhism and Confucianism principles. These Confucian principles can be seen manifested in the form of filial piety and age hierarchy with an emphasis on respect towards parents and elders and high importance in seniority. This is called “gong-gyeong” (공경) in korean and can be seen within families as younger generations are expected to speak in formal language and follow orders from elders. This concept was much more prominent in the past where children were expected to avoid eye contact, bow very deeply, and had a much more formal language towards elders. However, gong-gyeong is still seen today in daily settings. When greeting someone older, the younger person must bow and say hello formally (안녕하세요) without direct eye contact. At the dining table, you must let elders and seniors eat first, eat at the same speed as seniors, finish all food given, and leave only after the senior has left the table. If there is alcohol at the meal, younger people are expected to pour for elders and must turn their head away before drinking. Another common etiquette rule is to hand objects to seniors with either two hands or with the left hand supporting the right arm to show respect. 

Formal speech in itself takes place in the form of an inflectional morpheme where the formal morpheme “요” is often attached to the end of verbs. However, there are many different levels of formal speech in Korean including Hasoseo-che (하소서체) which is very formal and was often used in religious texts and towards royalty. The next level is Hasipsio-che (하십시오체) which is formally polite and is used between strangers or to customers. Haeyo-che (해요체) is casually polite and used between acquaintances and colleagues. The following levels Hao-che, Hage-che, Haera-che, and Hae-che go from casually polite to casually impolite with the lowest form being spoken to close friends. 

In schools, a high level of respect is also expected from students to their senior classmates and to teachers/professors. Gong-gyeong is also very prominent in the workplace with younger employees often taking on responsibilities belonging to senior employees. 

Aside from seniority hierarchies, Confucian principles also manifest in the form of collectivism and social harmony. In Korean workplaces and schools, there is a strong emphasis on teamwork, teambuilding activities, and social events. There is also a strong emphasis on family and adults tend to live with their parents or extended relatives even after graduation or marriage in order to care for them. Holidays are also typically spent with family as family takes priority. Geert Hofstede’s cultural dimensions theory actually ranked Korean very highly in the collectivism spectrum. This is thought to be from Confucianism as well as Korea’s difficult history resulting in a strong sense of nationalism and ability to band together in times of need.

Although concepts like collectivism and gong-gyeong were far more prominent in the past, much of Korea’s implicit social and etiquette culture is built upon these principles and continues to manifest in modern Korean culture.

https://geriatrics.stanford.edu/ethnomed/korean/assessment.html

https://www.britannica.com/place/South-Korea/Daily-life-and-social-customs

https://www.asianlanguageschool.com/korean-traditional-value-of-gong-gyeong/#:~:text=Gong%2Dgyeong%20is%20often%20expressed,them%20at%20an%20early%20age.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Korean_speech_levels

https://sites.gatech.edu/koreanmedia/digital-library-of-korean-culture-media/single-culture/#:~:text=Korea's%20Collectivist%20Mindset,world's%20most%20extreme%20collectivist%20cultures.

At this point in the semester, I had hoped to accomplish being able to hold a 1 hour conversation without using any english. I still have not been able to keep english entirely out of the conversation for such a long time but I have seen major improvements in my pronunciation, sentence creation, and vocabulary. There are a lot less pauses in the conversation as I am starting to memorize the words and phrases I have been learning with my language partner. Apart from speaking, I am also learning a lot of phrases and relevant vocabulary by listening to Korean news on youtube and current events podcasts. 

Now that I am meeting my language partner more often and I am also calling family members and trying to communicate entirely in Korean, I’ve seen a big jump in growth in my speech fluency. Since I have been studying the IPA phonetics of Korean and been listening to more native speakers, my pronunciation has also improved a lot since I started. 

I am also interested in learning more about Korean culture. I have been asking my language partner and family about things like Korean social culture, university life, holidays, and history which has spurred my curiosity. Going forward, I hope to learn Korean language and culture in tandem and supplement my knowledge of one domain with the other. I may do this by watching Korean history documentaries in Korean and trying to improve my real-time mental translation. 

One thing I am struggling to do is thinking like a fluent speaker or like a bilingual speaker would. I find that Korean does not come naturally into my head and it feels more like I am translating english thoughts before I say them in Korean instead of just thinking then speaking Korean. I believe continued exposure will help me with this and I will continue to find more opportunities to speak Korean in my daily life like meeting with my language partner, visiting Korean friends, and calling my sister (who is fluent in Korean and has lived there for a couple of years). 

Something that I want to incorporate into my learning plan is things that I do for fun and my personal hobbies like listening to music, reading, and art. To incorporate these, I have made additions to my learning plan. I am also taking Class Voice at U of R and for our final project, we must learn and perform a song of our choosing. For this project, I want to choose a Korean song so that I can read and learn Korean lyrics from scratch and translate the song’s meaning as well. I think this activity will also help me with more intricate details of Korean like detecting and injecting emotion and tone into my speech. 

I am looking forward to experimenting with these new strategies and also delving deeper into the cultural aspect of Korean as well, which will be a new short-term goal. My long-term goal of being able to speak fluently enough to go to Korea and live on my own is still intact and I can already see my progression towards this goal.

Fall 2023 SDLC111

Monthly Language Learning Journal #2

David Kim

30262888

david.kim123@richmond.edu

For October, my language partner and I watched episode three of the Korean drama show “Mask Girl” on Netflix. Episode three “Kim Kyung-ja” continues on with the story of Ju Oh-nam. Ju Oh-nam is in love with Kim Mo-mi, but already knows that Kim Mo-mi is in love with her boss. Ju Oh-nam watches Kim Mo-mi following her boss into the company building after work. Even though Ju Oh-nam watches Kim Mo-mi’s boss, who is married, is having an affair, he was just happy that she was not Kim Mo-mi. This part scared me because I felt that he is a person who puts his feelings first regardless of whatever is happening right or wrong. This scene has nothing related with South Korean culture because it is purely an individual emotion and reaction depending on the person. 

When Ju Oh-nam saw Kim Mo-mi going into a motel with her drunk boss, he could not hold his feelings and wrote a threatening email to Kim Mo-mi. The letter said “I know who you are Mask Girl.” When she received that letter, she was surprised in the office and quietly cried in the toilet by herself. Even though Kim Mo-mi got that email, she went out on a date with another streamer. He said he graduated college in America and complimented Kim Mo-mi’s appearance. However, he posted “She is ugly but I am still going to spend the night with her” on his social media. Kim Mo-mi wanted to refuse, but the guy would not let her go outside a motel room. The guy dies by an accident after a physical fight. Ju Oh-nam, who followed them by seeing the social media post, completely kills him and takes care of the dead body. 

When Kim Mo-mi got back home and took a shower, I was shocked again by the scene production of her face melting down and fluttering. It felt like it was expressing her complexness and hate about her appearance. Ju Oh-nam came to her house and started talking to each other. Kim Mo-mi found out that Ju Oh-nam was the person who sent that email and said that she wants to erase it all. Ju Oh-nam tries to have sex with her but she does not strongly resist. He takes off her mask but she already rapped her head and face around due to plastic surgery. Without having a lot of time to be sad, Ju Oh-nam gets killed by Kim Mo-mi with a sharp object next to them. 

The episode shifts to Kim Kyung-ja, the mother of Ju Oh-nam. Kim Kyung-ja raised Ju Oh-nam by herself. She called the police because Ju Oh-nam disappeared, but dead body parts in the refrigerator was the only thing they could find at his house. It was the body parts that he took care of for Kim Mo-mi. Kim Kyung-ja found out that the case was related to Mask Girl and tried to find her by herself. She gets prepared with a real gun and a stun gun. She finds a woman who had the same necklace as Mask Girl and kidnaps her. However, the woman says she is Kim Chun-ae, not Mask Girl. 

Episode three captured the dark reality in South Korea about loneliness, bullying, adult live streams, rape, murder, and kidnapping. Even though it was exaggerated, Mask Girl is a good drama to learn about those topics. I am looking forward to the next episode.

Fall 2023 SDLC111

Cultural Post #1

추석 Chuseok

David Kim

30262888

david.kim123@richmond.edu

When I checked my calendar for September, 29th was marked with Chuseok and 28th and 30th were marked with consecutive holidays of Chuseok. Since I am living in the United States during this time period for university, I am jealous of other Koreans who have long weekends with holidays. 

Chuseok is a national holiday celebrating Fall and harvest on August 15th of the lunar calendar. It is a three-day holiday, also known as the Korean Thanksgiving Day. It is one of the biggest traditional holidays in South Korea with New Year’s Day. In addition to the meaning of appreciating Fall and harvest, it adds the meaning of celebrating the victory of 신라(Silla) over 발해(Balhae). It is not known exactly when Chuseok began, but it is assumed that it began before the Three Kingdoms Period, given that it already existed in Silla. "Han" means big and "Gawi" means center. "Gawi" also means 가배(gabae), which is a tool that women used to weave yarn during the Silla Dynasty. There are many hypotheses about the origins of Chuseok, including the story from the 적마경기(Jeokma Gyeonggi) held during the reign of Yuri Lee Sa-geum, the third king of Silla.

During Chuseok, various events are held and games are held. People enjoy playing games such as 널뛰기(Neolttwigi), 제기차기(Jegichagi), 강강술래(Ganggangsullae), 윷놀이(Yutnori), and 씨름(Ssireum). They enjoy Nongak, divide sides among villagers, or play tug-of-war with other villages. A wrestling match takes place on the lawn or sand, and the winner receives calves, rice, and mineral trees. In the west coast of Jeollanam-do, women gathered in an open field at the sunrise of Chuseok and played Ganggangsullae, and it is said that they also enjoyed 닭싸움(chicken fights) and 소싸움(cow fights). Making a wish on the full moon is a tradition that has been passed down since a long time.

On Chuseok, people wear hanboks, prepare songpyeon made of new rice, and various foods such as fresh fruits and taro soup to appreciate the harvest. Also, they have a good day sharing delicious food with my neighbors. No matter how poor and difficult people lived, they enjoyed sharing food together. It is the season of fruits in which all kinds of grains are ripe, and contains the brightest moon chestnut, and a grave is offered in gratitude for the grace of the ancestors. In addition, it is usual for Korean office workers to be paid bonuses in the name of Chuseok bonuses. Young children will also get some money from elders.

Chuseok is Korea's largest holiday to celebrate a good harvest in the harvest season, hold a rite to honor the benevolence of the ancestors, and share a warm heart with neighbors. As the saying goes, "No more or less, always like Hangawi," new grains and fresh fruits come out during the good season of Cheongo-mabi, and everything is abundant.

Since it is difficult to experience Chuseok and its culture, food, and traditional games in the United States, I hope to spend a good time in South Korea for Chuseok in the future.

https://www.90daykorean.com/chuseok-in-korea/

https://encykorea.aks.ac.kr/Article/E0057862

http://contents.history.go.kr/mobile/km/view.do?levelId=km_036_0040_0020_0030_0040

Fall 2023 SDLC111

My Learning Plan

David Kim

30262888

david.kim123@richmond.edu

My%20Learning%20Plan%20-%20David%20Kim%20%28Fall%202023%29.docx

Fall 2023 SDLC111

Monthly Language Learning Journal #1

David Kim

30262888

david.kim123@richmond.edu

For Fall 2023 SDLC 111, my Korean language partner Rachel and I decided to watch a new Korean drama “Mask Girl”  on Netflix. Mask Girl is a Korean black comedy and thriller drama about a girl living two lives based on her appearance. Kim Mo-mi is a female worker who is daydreaming about her male boss during the daytime. At night, she puts on a face mask and livestreams content for adults as her internet personality Mask Girl.

During the first twenty minutes, there was a shocking scene to me. Kim Mo-mi is love in with her boss, who is married. She thinks he is nice, attractive, and smart. When she thinks he is focusing on his work, he is actually drawing abdominal muscles in his photo. This could be a funny scene, which I also agree it is, but I think it is a great scene that represents perfectionism and the deadly beauty standard of South Korea. Even though someone else thinks he is perfect, he is eager to be ‘more’ perfect and look even nicer. I could make connections from this scene to young girls and female K-pop artists. When young girls admire female K-pop artists, they want to follow everything about them, including their appearance. They think being skinny is beautiful and try to become as skinny as possible by eating almost nothing. Their obsession with beauty leads to danger to their health, more beauty products, and also plastic surgery.

There was one scene that portrayed the 소문(So-moon)(rumor) culture of South Korea. Kim Mo-mi accidentally saw her boss whom she was in love and another female worker having an inappropriate meeting in the office at night time. During lunch with other co-workers, she told the story of what happened. Then, she could hear other people that she didn’t know talking about that story with exaggerated scenarios. They said rumors that the female worker got pregnant, and already given birth, and the boss is 두집 살림(Do-jip-sal-lim)(living in two houses). I think this scene did a good job of capturing the atmosphere of the pressure and rumor culture of Korean companies. Koreans usually have the pressure of worrying about what other people are thinking about them. That is why beauty products and plastic surgery are well-developed in South Korea. Even though everyone has the same worries and concerns, people do not mind talking negatively and gossiping about someone else. I have not experienced the rumor culture in South Korea, but you can easily find this cliché in many Korean movies, dramas, and other media. 

During September, Rachel and I completed the first two episodes of Mask Girl. The second episode introduces a new male character, Joo Oh-nam. Joo Oh-nam works at the same place as Kim Mo-Mi. He was bullied since he was young because of his appearance. He likes to be by himself and watch live-stream content for adults. As Joo Oh-nam gets to know that Mask Girl is Kim Mo-Mi, the episode ends. I am planning to keep watching it and discuss the cultural aspects of South Korea.

I've been trying hard to learn Korean grammar rules within sentences. Specifically, I aimed to grasp the nuances of sentence structure, verb conjugations, and the various particles that play a crucial role in conveying meaning.

My goal was to achieve a more intuitive understanding of Korean grammar, enabling me to construct coherent and contextually appropriate sentences. I aimed to move beyond rote memorization to a level where I could apply grammar rules organically in both written and spoken contexts.

Interactions with native Korean speakers have been invaluable. Through language exchange, I not only practiced applying grammar rules but also gained insights into colloquial usage. Reciprocal goals included providing assistance in English in exchange for guidance in Korean. These interactions provided cultural context and real-world application of grammar rules.

I delved into Korean grammar textbooks, systematically studying rules and examples. This laid a foundation for understanding the mechanics of the language.

Regular conversations with language partners allowed me to apply learned grammar rules in real time. Immediate feedback and corrections were instrumental in refining my usage.

I also engaged in constructing sentences on various topics. This involved creating sentences based on given prompts and gradually progressing to more complex structures.

The combination of textbook study, practical application through language exchange, targeted practice, and immersion through media consumption has proven effective. Textbooks provided a structured foundation, while real-life conversations enhanced practical usage. Media consumption added a layer of cultural context, making the learning experience holistic.

Moving forward, I plan to deepen my understanding of advanced grammar concepts and focus on more nuanced sentence constructions. Additionally, I aim to explore diverse registers of the language, understanding how formality and politeness influence sentence formation.

Recognizing the effectiveness of a multifaceted approach, I will continue combining textbook study, practical application, and media consumption. However, I will introduce more writing exercises to solidify my grasp of grammar rules and enhance my ability to construct well-formed sentences independently.

Understanding grammar goes beyond language mechanics; it unveils cultural nuances. Politeness levels, honorifics, and sentence endings reveal insights into societal structures and values. This interconnection between language and culture motivates me to delve deeper into both aspects.

A particularly successful experience was successfully applying a complex grammar rule in a spontaneous conversation. It was a moment of realization that the rules had transitioned from theoretical knowledge to practical application.

On the flip side, there were instances where I struggled to apply a newly learned rule in conversation, leading to moments of linguistic stumbling. These experiences highlighted the need for more targeted practice.

In light of my experiences, I will revise my task list to include more writing exercises and structured practice. My short-term goal is to achieve a higher level of fluency in constructing varied sentences, while my long-term goal is to master advanced grammar concepts and express myself with greater precision.

Languages go extinct simply when people do not speak, write, or use it enough for it to be passed on to the next generation. Eventually, the language then dies out and becomes a distant memory of th past. The sad part of the language becoming extinct, isn’t the fact that the language itself is gone, but a part of culture or tradition is now gone as well. Of course relics of the past can be studied, but without the actual language to study it can be difficult to understand the true meaning of their cultures and traditions. Especially, when it comes to small tribes that aren’t studied as extensively as say Latin. Speaking of Latin, that brings the issue of whether a language is truly dead or can even be brought back. People always talk about how Latin is a “dead language”, but truth be told, personally I don’t think it’s a dead language. It’s considered the official language of the Vatican, and mass in the Vatican are Latin. People study Latin all over the world and therefore know how to read, write, and speak it. A true extinct language is one that is unknown to the entire world. One that no one speaks or studies. But even if a language does go extinct, I believe it can be brought back. Take the Siletz language for example. Once considered extinct, it now has 4900 members in the tribes of the Siletz Indians and is being taught at the public charter school in Siletz. All the language was once considered dead, efforts to teach it and expand it helped bring it back to life. If the language is still known, even the smallest amount, I believe that it can be brought back to a wider scale if enough effort to revive it is put into place.

Countries often have traditional clothing that can be traced back throughout the entire country’s history. In Japan is the kimono, Scotland has the kilt, and Korea has the 한복 (Hanbok). But what is the significance of the Korean Hanbok? Well, it bears immense significance all throughout Korean history. Its roots stretch back to ancient times, the Hanbok encapsulates the very core of Korean heritage; evolving over centuries while maintaining its cultural roots.

The origins of the Hanbok can be traced back to the Three Kingdoms Period (57 BCE - 668 CE), where its design first began to take shape. Originally, the Hanbok was worn by everyone throughout the peninsula. Whether poor or rich, it served as an everyday attire for everyone. But over time, as Korea experienced changes in rulings and cultural shifts, the Hanbok became not only an article of clothing, but a way to express social status, cultural values, and aesthetic sensibilities.

During the Joseon Dynasty, the Hanbok began to represent the Confucian ideals during the time period. It started to reflect the values of modesty and social hierarchy. Different colors, fabric choices, and accessories conveyed specific information about an individual's age, gender, and social status. The Hanbok thus started to become more of a traditional clothing, rather than just an everyday article of clothing. Later, under Imperial Japan, the Japanese empire attempted to erase the Hanbok from the country itself. It was prohibited from being worn on special occasions, but of course they were not able to do this as it still exists today.

Because of this, in the modern world the Hanbok is generally only worn on special occasions such as Lunar New Year’s, a wedding, Chuseok (Korean harvest festival), birthdays, etc. The younger generation, in particular, has embraced the Hanbok as a symbol of cultural pride, showing it off and wearing it in various forms such as fashion shows and social media platforms. This changing world has brought the Hanbok to adapt a more modern feel/look as well. The design has adapted a more contemporary feeling to keep it relevant in the modern world. The traditional version still exists of course and is still mostly worn over the contemporary versions. 

The Hanbok stands as more than just a piece of clothing; it is a living testament to Korea's enduring cultural legacy. Woven into its fabric are centuries of history, cultural values, and artistic expression. Its significance and values have persisted throughout centuries even through the hardest times. The Hanbok's significance persists in its ability to bridge the past and the present, fostering a sense of pride and connection among the Korean people and captivating the admiration of the world.

As a Chinese student delving into the intricate world of Hangul calligraphy, I find myself in a captivating yet challenging exploration of artistic expression. The elegant strokes and cultural nuances inherent in this form of writing offer a unique lens through which to understand Korean tradition. Here's a more serious take on my journey:

Hangul calligraphy stands as a testament to Korea's artistic heritage. As I gaze upon the carefully crafted characters, I can't help but marvel at the disciplined elegance that defines each stroke. Unlike the complexity of Chinese characters, Hangul appears deceptively simple, yet its artistry lies in the mastery of form and flow.

So, I stumbled upon Hangul calligraphy, thinking, "Hey, Chinese characters are complex enough, let's add a bit of Korean flair to the mix." But seriously, Hangul calligraphy is a visual feast. The characters look like they're doing a waltz on paper, and I'm here, trying not to step on their toes.

My initial impression was one of understated beauty. However, attempting to replicate the characters brought forth a realization—there's a subtlety and precision to Hangul calligraphy that demands a focused and disciplined approach. Each brushstroke carries a weight of cultural significance, requiring an acute attention to detail that I hadn't anticipated.

Hangul calligraphy transcends mere writing; it is a cultural artifact that speaks to the essence of Korean identity. The deliberate choice of words and phrases in calligraphy adds another layer of interpretation, revealing insights into the cultural values and aspirations embedded in the language.

Rooted in Confucian and Buddhist traditions, Hangul calligraphy embodies the virtues of patience and self-cultivation. The meditative quality of crafting each character aligns with the reverence for learning and craftsmanship found in traditional Korean culture. This cultural depth adds layers of significance to each stroke.

Confucian and Buddhist traditions? I can relate—I'm trying to be Zen about this, but my brush has other ideas. The patience required is next level. It's like trying to herd cats—impossible and slightly absurd. And the cultural practices? Scrolls for special occasions? In my world, it's like sending a text but on fancy paper.

Approaching Hangul calligraphy as a Chinese learner, I sense a parallel with my own cultural heritage. The discipline required for calligraphy resonates with the meticulous nature of Chinese brushstroke writing. While the characters may differ, the pursuit of artistic expression and cultural preservation feels like a shared journey.

Hangul calligraphy stands as a testament to the intricate interplay between language, art, and culture in Korea. It is a living tradition that continues to thrive, bridging the gap between the ancient and the modern. My exploration of this artifact has deepened my understanding of the profound ways in which language can be woven into the fabric of a culture, creating a tapestry of beauty and meaning. In future language acquisition efforts, I will carry with me an appreciation for the artistic dimensions of language, seeking to understand not only the words but the soulful strokes that give them life.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oi8hZFHdHDk

One of my favorite cultural aspects of Korea is the concept of Nunchi/Noonchi. Nunchi is a very difficult word to describe in English because there is not a specific translation to it. It is a unique concept that refers to the ability to understand the emotions, thoughts, intentions, and atmosphere of others and the space without any explicit communication. I really like this video of Korean Austrailians trying to describe this unique concept of nunchi. I definitely agree with them on how it is something that is passed through generations and something we learn from our parents growing up. I also think about it as a way to go about situations on whether or not my parents would approve of my behavior. It is definitely a crucial role in interpersonal relationships, communication, and overall harmony within the Korean community. It builds a deeper connection with others and a way I personally bond with other Korean people. 

The key to understanding nunchi comes from your observations of others. These observations can include their facial expressions, body language, tone of voice, and the changes that occur in their behaviors and moods. It is a way of showing manners and I also believe that it is somewhat of a sixth sense that we Koreans consider in our daily lives. Nunchi not only takes an individual’s expressions but it can also determine the tension in a room. For example, it can apply to your workplace, family gatherings, and public spaces. 

Nunchi is actually very important in social settings in maintaining smooth interpersonal relationships. Since Korea is very been with after work social settings such as 술자리 and 회식 (company dinners), nunchi is necessary to build your reputation. Sometimes it is even considered as a part of your ability to work at a company or school. Nunchi can be very challenging because it takes a lot to always be aware of your surroundings. It can definitely lead to some emotional labor. Also, nunchi can also result in negative ways as actions can seem fake. I think nunchi requires a good balance between being attentive but with self-care.

The history behind nunchi comes from Confucianism and its influence on societal norms. Nunchi roots from the importance of hierarchy, respect, and the social harmony that Korean culture puts an emphasis on. Due to these factors, nunchi became an essential part to climb the hierarchy and have respect for others. Although nunchi can sometimes be a stressful concept, I extremely appreciate it and this is an amazing trait someone can have.

            The term Hanbok (한복) refers to traditional Korean clothing. It literally translates as ‘Korean clothing.’ North Koreans prefer the term ‘Joseon Ot’ (조선옷), or Joseon clothes. This refers to the Korean Joseon dynasty, which lasted 500 years from the end of the 14^th century to the beginning of the 20^th century.  

The Hanbok is still worn today by Koreans for formal events and ceremonies such as weddings, funerals, and certain holidays. Most hanboks worn today resemble hanboks worn during the Joseon dynasty by nobility and royalty. Traditionally, commoners wore white hanboks made from cheap, widely available materials such as hemp, linen, and cotton. Today’s hanboks are often colorful and feature ornate patterns.

Women’s hanbok is composed of a top, known as a jeogori (저고리), and a skirt, known as a chima (치마). The outfit is often referred to as chima jeogori (치마저고리). Men’s hanbok is composed of a jeogori with pants, known as baji (바지). Hanboks for women are often more ornate and fancier than their male counterparts.

Gyeongbokgung palace in Seoul was the main royal palace of the Joseon dynasty. Visitors who wear hanboks gain free entry. This creates a more immersive experience for visitors.

Studying the hanbok is impossible without also taking a deep dive into Korean history. The government traditionally enforced a dress code, that stated that the more colorful and ornate hanboks were reserved for nobility and royalty. Today’s hanboks are therefore a deviation from tradition in that sense.

The most significant and drastic change in Korean hanboks occurred during the late 19^th century and early 20^th century. Foreign interests in Korean at the end of 1800s marked the first introduction of western clothing into the country. Japanese colonialism is when a forced shift to western clothing occurred. Japan enforced a policy of erasing Korean culture, and clothing was a significant aspect of this: “After Japan annexed the country in 1910, Koreans experienced a campaign of cultural erasure and material extraction that sought to oppress their heritage in all aspects of daily life, extending to land ownership, language, food and clothing” (One Garment’s Journey Through History - The New York Times (nytimes.com)). The traditional white, commoner hanbok was banned during this period. Gradually, hanboks were phased out of everyday Korean life, which is the norm today.

            As previously stated, Hanboks remain important in Korean culture. The Korean government officially declared October 21^st as Hanbok day. Hanboks have also seen a resurgence in popularity due to being featured in historical kdramas and kpop music videos. Modern takes on the hanbok, featured shorter and more practical styles, have also emerged.

            While the hanbok while likely never return as common, everyday apparel, it is certainly here to stay as a protected, historical cultural item and its influence can still be seen.

I would say that things are going as well as they could be with my language learning. This semester has proven to be difficult for me mentally and emotionally. The whole was to meet with Sara every week, but on average I have met with her biweekly. I will take it! I think that I have learned a lot about myself, Moroccan culture, Sara, and language acquisition in the process. I plan to meet with her at least two more times, maybe three. She is moving to Turkey for a year so her availability may change. 

I think that my third language acquisition on top of keeping up with my second language has changed the most throughout the semester. Early on it felt much easier for me to speak French because I was straight out of France and my Spanish skills were little to none. Now when I speak with Sara, I have to warm up a little bit more. Around halfway into our 30 minute lesson I start to "get it back" (the best way I can describe it). Now that Spanish is on top of my brain, I have to juggle pronouncing words differently. Sometimes I trip up and pronounce all of the letters of a French word when I am not supposed to. This was something I never used to do before learning Spanish. With that being said, not much has changed in my language learning plan, but more so what it takes to learn two languages at the same time. 

Something that has started to change in my conversations with Sara is flipping the narrative. Now I am starting to ask her more questions about herself and her life in Morocco. Readings in class have inspired me to ask her more questions to enhance the experience of intercultural communication. We show each other lots of pictures of things that we enjoy, whether in the US or Morocco. I would say that we are good friends now and know quite a bit about each other. Sara was originally asking me all the questions throughout September and October, but in November our conversations have shifted towards me asking her questions. I like the shift. It's also very good practice for me to form questions based around another culture and using the write terminology to do so. 

For me I think that I could continue expanding my conversations with French speakers beyond Sara in the future. Next semester I intend to do a C-LAC with Dr. Kapanga because I am taking the Francophone novel class for my Luso-Brazilian studies minor. I look forward to expanding my communicative competence with him next semester, also considering that he is from a different African Francophone country. I'm excited to see how my French evolves next to my intermediate Spanish!

I love to talk about writing! I took French 305 my spring semester of Freshman year which was the ultimate opportunity for me to expand my French writing skills. When I was in France I would joke that French is a "fraud" language because I only needed to use three of four tenses to get by. Sometimes I got frustrated with the fact that I learned so much about the language in school, but in reality only use so much of the grammar and writing rules that I have been taught. I use the conditional, future simple, past tense, and present tense the most. When it comes to forming complex sentences, I will use words such as que, qui, oú, and de to connect any idea onto another one. When I was in my senior year of high school and French 221, I found it difficult to use these pronouns and prepositions to form my ideas. Now, I use them all the time both when I write and speak. Word order in French is very weird and different. Not only do I have to consider the gender of the subject, but adjectives tend to go after what I am describing. That threw me off early on, but now I am used to this rule. I am at the point in my French "career" that now I ask questions like "why does it have to be this way?" (in terms of grammatical rules and structures). It just is. 

I prefer to write on paper in the majority of circumstances. To be honest, I wouldn't be upset if we were still required to handwrite essays in school whether in French or English. Writing free hand helps me get a better grasp on learning French and Spanish as well. I have been journaling either before or after my biweekly meetings with Sara. Something that helps me with speaking French is writing in the language before our lessons. It's becoming more difficult for me to speak French because I'm learning Spanish simultaneously. Writing in French comes natural to me now. There are times where I think that I am forgetting French, but then when I sit down to free hand a French journal entry, everything comes out. It's very relieving. 

My number one writing exercise is to free write. I will check my writing with google docs to see what I miss grammatically. This allows me to see which grammatical agreements I hit on the spot and the rules that I miss. Sometimes having a computer telling me what to do can be both overwhelming and less-productive for my learning. 

  The past couple of weeks have been very intense in terms of learning new grammar structures, vocabulary, and new topics. Currently I am working on the last unit from both the MagyarOK grammar book and the MagyarOK language book. This last unit offers new material on topics such as family, home, house (pieces of furniture), expressions used at home, hobbies, and etc. On the other hand, the grammar book covers topics such as present tense vs. future and past tenses, conjugation of personal pronouns, accusative case on complex nouns, continuation of the vowel harmony topics and its complexities, and other new information on possessive endings. Also, both of the books have a lot of audio materials included which seem to be pretty complicated and heavy in terms of vocabulary and all of the materials covered earlier in the book. Even though these couple of weeks have been the most intense and tough so far, I still really enjoyed it.

  In this language journal I want to talk about the construction of past tense in Hungarian language - one of the most useful topics I have learnt this week. Past tense (in Hungarian - ‘múlt idő) is pretty straightforward and an easy to understand concept in Hungarian language (very surprising, right?)... Any verb in Hungarian can be transformed from the present tense to the past tense just by adding the suffix -tam or -tem depending on the vowel harmony. For example, ‘néz’ means ‘to see’, therefore, ‘néztem’ means ‘saw’. Another example, ‘hoz’ means ‘to bring’, and ‘hoztam’ means ‘brought’. You can see that the vowel in the past tense suffix depends on the vowel in the root of the initial verb. It is a completely separate and pretty complicated topic, so I will not go into that. However, what I want to highlight is the fact that there are of course some exceptions because no grammar rule in Hungarian can be that simple and straightforward… 

  The first one is the case when the verb ends with -t. For example, ‘tanít’ means ‘to teach’, and ‘tanítottam’ means ‘taught’. You can see that an extra vowel, the root and the suffix was added, and ‘t’ was doubled. Also, there are certain so-called irregular verbs that have different structure for the past tense. For example, ‘jön’ means ‘to come’, and ‘jöttem’ means ‘came’. I believe that there is no exact explanation on why those verbs are part of the different rule, it just seems that it sounds better like the way they are. 

  I think past tense is one of the most interesting and pretty straightforward topics in Hungarian, that is why I thought sharing it with you might be interesting. 

   During one of the meetings with my community partner we talked about interesting celebrations, traditions, and holidays in our home countries. My community partner told me about Farsang, pronounced ‘Farshang’. 

   Farsang carnival in general marks the end of winter. The celebration is also connected to the destruction of the winter in Hungary - Old Man Winter. There is a lot of fun and food during the day and, in the evening, there is a “huge bonfire as everyone says good-bye to winter and sets their sights on spring. The length of the Farsang period is different each year.  In 2023, Farsang is between 6 January and 21 February. The most important part of Farsang is the “tail of Farsang”, meaning the last 3 days before the start of Lent. This way it includes Sunday, Monday, and Shrove Tuesday, which fall on 19, 20, and 21 February in 2023. Neither of these days are bank holidays, though” (Sarkadi). 

   There are quite a few unique traditions that happen during the period of Farsang. Traditionally Farsang is for merrymaking, courting, and sometimes even weddings. All of the Hungarian folk traditions represent the idea of making winter go away and spring coming sooner. Most of the Hungarians dress up as scary things and make scary noises, as that is “well known to ward off evil - winter is kind of evil as it can kill you with cold and starvation” (Sarkadi). According to the article from which I learnt traditions of Farsang, one of the best-known ones is the ‘Busójárás’ and it takes place at the end of Farsang. “People in fur coats and heavy wooden masks have a parade through the city making noise, lighting a bonfire at night. This tradition, however, is particular only to the region of Mohács, in the Southern part of Hungary, West of the Danube” (Sarkadi). 

   Even though Farsang is dedicated to having fun altogether, it is followed by Lent - a 40-day season religiously known for restraint and meditation. “During Lent, you are not supposed to eat meat, or even cheese or eggs. This is supposed to clean your body and soul, and prepare you for the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ at Easter. As a result, the tail of Farsang is an especially cheerful season, as it is the last opportunity to have fun until Easter. There is a special day emphasizing this contrast between Farsang and Lent: Fat Thursday. This is supposed to be the last Thursday before Lent, dedicated to eating together, especially rich foods and sweets” (Sarkadi). 

   I think Farsang is a very interesting Hungarian national celebration. It captures a lot of traditions, local practices, customs, and other things that Hungarian people keep and preserve so dearly. I hope one day I can see the carnival myself!

Source: https://hungariancitizenship.eu/blog/what-is-farsang-in-hungary/

Surrounded by the Yellow Sea, East China Sea, and the Japan Sea, South Korea holds a lot of cultural systems based on its peninsular nature. One of these systems are the Haenyeos - Hae (Sea) + Nyeo (Women), or a group of Korean divers in the area of Jeju Island, south of Korea. These Haenyeos harvest a variety of sea life - ranging from shellfish to seaweed, things that are not as accessible via ferries, nor easily harvestable by machine/automation. Although the occupation is shared by both men and women - over time it has become quite female dominated. There are some historical and scientific reasons for this, but now it is mostly cultural. But these Haenyeos dive without oxygen tanks - they dive for minutes off of just their breath, and they do this for hours (5+) a day. As a result, they are very fit, and many of these Haenyeos are actually very old - some even in their 80s. 

This practice and group of people have recently been listed as a FAO agricultural heritage system - their practice in Korea is almost iconic. They're not wholly relevant, yet many citizens will know of these people, and many Korean dramas also feature Haenyeos. Reading about this was really interesting, and it really shines the light on one of Korea's many subcommunities/subcultures.

I am able to write in Korean… kinda well. According to the people all around me who I text to in Korean, the meaning or message of whatever I’m trying to communicate gets across. However, there are still many spelling mistakes. Most of these are because of characters that sound the same, such as ㅐ vs ㅔ (both sound like ae). Also typing to Korean is hard, especially on a keyboard since I basically don’t know any of the character positions on the QWERTY keyboard. Writing is much easier since I can actually create the words myself. Although, it hasn’t been an issue yet, the sentence structure in Korean differs from English. Of course, the subject, object, and verb of the sentence remains but the ordering of them is different. In English, the basic sentence structure goes subject-verb-object. For example, it would be “I like swimming.” But in Korean, the order goes subject-object-verb. So if the sentence was “나는 수영을 좋아해" (same meaning), the direct translation would be “I swimming like.” But like mentioned above, this hasn’t created any issues for me (yet) in conveying my message or anything of that sort. I’m sure if sentences get more and more complicated though, there may arise an issue of that sort.

Last time I tried to learn Korean by watching 무한도전. But even though I watched several episodes, translated unknown words, and tried to use them in a real life dialogue, it just didn’t work out that well. It was hard to apply many of these words since they barely even fit in an actual dialogue. So instead this time I listened to Korean songs. It’s not like I didn’t before, but this time I actually looked up the lyrics and tried to find out what they meant. Before I would read the lyrics and just follow along without actually understanding them.

I found myself learning a lot more Korean since I would listen to these songs multiple times, often more than once a day, and follow along. Listening to modern songs in Korean also helped a lot since there was a lot of modern slang and terminology in these songs. And of course, with modern songs the lyrics are far more applicable to the real life. Often I would listen to Korean rap and R&B songs over the mainstream Kpop songs. In my opinion, listening to these songs was far more beneficial because 1) they align with my music taste well. So listening to them constantly and trying to follow along wouldn’t become a problem or tiring. 2) the songs generally seem to have more Korean lyrics than mainstream Kpop songs which have an incredible amount of English integrated into them. 3) Songs from these genre contain a lot of slang in Korean. Some of these include contractions, similar to English where two words are combined in a shorter form. But unlike English these words aren’t actually real words and are just used in modern speaking. Although this might seem contradictory to actually learning the language, it helps me understand the language in the context of the real world which allows me to actually understand Korean in the modern world.

Outside of just listening to the songs though, I would try to use these new words in a real life dialogue once again. But as mentioned before, they were far more easy to apply in them than the words from a Korean variety show. Clearly to me, this method was very productive and helped me learn a lot in a surprisingly short amount of time. Part of it was probably because I thoroughly enjoyed what I was learning with. Listening to songs that I’ve never heard before and looking up the lyrics and its meaning was actually an enjoyable process. Not only did I learn more Korean that was useful, but it also showed me new songs that fit me well.

In 2012, Psy became one of the very first Korean artists to gain international viral recognition for “Gangnam Style.” He also holds the title for the first Youtube video to hit 1 billion views back when the video platform was still young. This song has paved the way for more Korean popular culture to become globalized and initiated the term “K-pop.” Psy broke three Guinness world records and rose to international fame at 35. His breakout fame outside of South Korea, where he was already popular, was not just a viral one hit wonder phase. He was a cultural phenomenon that initiated a wave of the globalization of Korean culture to the rest of the world. He had become so famous that there were parodies of him. This wave of Korean pop culture “hallyu” has been in effect since the 1990s but really only made progress this first time. Furthermore, other waves of East Asian influence like Manga and Anime have become popular amount younger generations as well. It has become a cult-like popularity. With the rise of “Hallyu.” One professor at George Mason University in South Korea believes that without him, there would not have been BTS nor BlackPink. A distinctive feature of K-pop bands that have contributed to their growth are their infectious beats, synchronized dance moves, and the eye-catching colors used to create their persona. There are also arguments that had it not been for Psy’s international break out, there would be less popularity surrounding K-dramas, Korean skincare regimens, and Korean tacos and Korean fried chicken.

Not only did Psy’s work break international fame, It also addressed a prevalent issue in South Korea. His “Gangnam Style” addressed a hypocrisy and obsession about presenting oneself through wealth and power. His lyrics and strenuous posturing are undercut by the incongruity of his harshly utilitarian environments: a muddy, neglected-looking riverbank dominated by elevated freeways; a parking garage through which blows a debris-filled windstorm; a public toilet stall. In true Gangnam style, Psy’s character insists on his own magnetism in blind defiance of the void of glamor around him. A similar satire topic is depicted in “Parasite.” A South Korean movie of two families that addressed social critique of rich and poor, “both representative of and imprisoned by its class.” In the film, the poor working class family has a distinct “stench” of labor which is depicted with debt. The poor family tries to overtake the current servers of the rich in a fight for power and money. This same idea of the poor working class against each other is also depicted in Squid games as well. As Forbes puts it, “it[Gangnam Style] is a humorous and ironic commentary on upper-class lifestyle, specifically the lifestyle of those living in the ultra-wealthy Gangnam district of Seoul, Korea.”Gangnam Style